Turkey bids farewell to 15-year-old boy killed by PKK in Turkey's Trabzon

Turkey bid farewell Aug. 12 to a 15-year-old boy who was killed in an attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Maçka district of the Black Sea province of Trabzon a day earlier, prompting condemnations from across the political spectrum.

Eren Bülbül, who was studying at a religious vocational school in Maçka, had informed security forces that PKK militants left a house with supplies late on Aug. 11. He moved with security forces to hint possible routes that they could have escaped to but was killed during clashes between security forces and the militants.

Gendarmerie Master Sgt. Ferhat Gedik, 41, was injured in the clashes but later surrendered to his wounds. Gedik was also laid to rest in his hometown, the İskenderun district of the southern province of Hatay, on Aug. 12, which was also his birthday.  

Bülbül was laid to rest in the district on Aug. 12 after a funeral ceremony attended by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Trabzon Governor Yücek Yavuz, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Ayşe Sula Köseoğlu, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Haluk Pekşen, Trabzon mayor Orhan Fevzi Gümrükçüoğlu and several soldiers, police officers and locals.

"Down with terror. When Eren watched news reports about clashes on TV, he would be very sad and angry. He would say 'I will join the military and be a martyr.' He was martyred. He was receiving football training at Trabzonspor. He was a fanatic Trabzonspor fan since he was four. He was really keen on football," his brother Arif Bülbül said. Eren was the ninth among 13 brothers who lost their father 14 months ago.

"He had informed soldiers that supplies from the house had been stolen. When he went to the scene with soldiers, a fire...